Who shot Bobby? Cleverly executed homage or jaded and unoriginal?

[Mel O'Drama]

The shocking moment was on Entertainment This Week, I think just a night or two before the episode was screened - on the same channel.

Gosh - really? I thought Australia was a lot stricter on spoilers than other countries.

I remember Judy Nunn appearing on a British chat show being shocked that they showed a clip of a key moment that had yet to air in the UK. She commented that it was a big no-no in Australia.

 

[Toni]

Although not all of us managed to stay spoiler-free.

End Game, for example, aired in the UK just four days after its US screening. But that was still enough time for the UK tabloids to make the ending public knowledge. When I watched the first airing of End Game here someone walked into the room, saw that Dallas was on and casually mentioned that Bobby was going to be shot at the end.

Likewise, Bobby's death had photo spreads in the red tops long before it aired here.

Spoilers weren't as prevalent then as now, but remember that Dallas had a huge audience compared with a TV show of today. Mentioning one watched the show potentially invited someone to mention something they'd just read in the paper about an upcoming storyline. Watching Dallas taught me a lot about carefully avoiding spoilers to maximise my enjoyment.

I agree. We were so behind the US airings in Spain that I had read in the magazines all about the Who Shot Bobby cliffhanger even before Katherine´s first appearance!! Sometimes I think we invented spoilers, and also fake spoilers (like Ray being John Ross´s father, as was published here too!). It was twice frustrating because of the poor season 7 premiere ("Killer at Large"), a number of clichéd dialogues and situations wrapped up in Travilla´s clothes. "Dallas" had already become a story with bidimensional characters though.

"I´m leaving now Cliff, but I´ll come back in a few years
with your daughter. I read it in a Spanish magazine..."​

 

[Ome]

"I´m leaving now Cliff, but I´ll come back in a few years
with your daughter. I read it in a Spanish magazine..."

​

 

[Karin]

I watched this episode in reruns around 1995 and amazingly since I hadn't learnt to surf the web yet I watched it spoiler free!

I remember rolling my eyes at JR being shot again and then when Bobby fell out of the chair I was like: "OMG it's Bobby!"

So yeah it was cleverly done and worked even years later!

 

[Sarah]

Gosh - really? I thought Australia was a lot stricter on spoilers than other countries.

I remember Judy Nunn appearing on a British chat show being shocked that they showed a clip of a key moment that had yet to air in the UK. She commented that it was a big no-no in Australia.

Yeah cos I think I would have died of shock at her 'I'm dead but I'm in the fridge' storyline had it aired a bit sooner!

 

[Rove]

and then having him be blind was a major cliche as well.

In hindsight it may now appear cliché but at the time I accepted it for the drama it offered - by placing Donna in the Ewing Office - which ruffled JR's feathers no end. I would have kept Bobby blind for the majority of the season just to keep the tension up within the family.

 

[Rove]

It was twice frustrating because of the poor season 7 premiere ("Killer at Large"), a number of clichéd dialogues and situations wrapped up in Travilla´s clothes.

So I'm not the only person noticing this subtle but confronting change. Rather than painting by numbers it was writing by numbers. Perhaps it was a poor choice of Director. Within the first 4 episodes of this series return we lose Afton and Katherine. Both dealt with rather coldly. The devilish, scheming Katherine makes the stupid decision of confessing to shooting Bobby. Instead of a court scene worthy of an episode of L.A. LAW Katherine bolts the country, never to be seen again until her spectacular appearance at Pam's bedside.

I'm assuming the exists of Afton and Katherine were to make way for the introduction of Jamie and Mandy. Both poor choices in my opinion. This return season starting with Killer At Large is the beginning of the end.

 

[Rove]

Gosh - really? I thought Australia was a lot stricter on spoilers than other countries.

Back in the day I think there was a "Gentleman's agreement" between the networks here in Australia. We have to remember most series stemming from America were not seen on Australian television until our Winter months kicked in, so we're talking a number of months between a show screening in America and it appearing in Australia. That "Gentleman's agreement" was also a way for the networks to protect their purchase. I cannot imagine what it must have cost per episode when Dallas was flying high in its day.

 

[Kenny Coyote]

It was twice frustrating because of the poor season 7 premiere ("Killer at Large"), a number of clichéd dialogues and situations wrapped up in Travilla´s clothes.

I'm guessing Travilla is the name of a fashion designer of women's clothes. Is that correct? Did people really care who designed the clothes for Dallas? I'll agree that some of the more outlandish clothes wore, such as Sue Ellen's shoulder pads that seemed to designed to put the shoulders of an NFL linebacker to shame, were annoying but not on a level that would make any significant effect on how much I enjoyed the show. Since you brought up the subject of clothes though, I do have to wonder what the purpose of those shoulder pads was supposed to be. When have you ever heard a man say he thinks women with huge shoulders are hot?

I'm assuming the exists of Afton and Katherine were to make way for the introduction of Jamie and Mandy. Both poor choices in my opinion. This return season starting with Killer At Large is the beginning of the end.

I agree about Jamie. I did like Mandy though. There was one woman who JR seemed like he was seriously considering divorcing Sue Ellen so he could marry her. I wish they had gone with that storyline instead of having him say with Sue Ellen. How many times did we really need to see JR and Sue Ellen break up and reconcile?

I know they wanted Victoria Principal to stay but when they found out she was going to leave Dallas no matter what, whose bright idea was it to get rid of Deborah Shelton too? They were already losing the best looking woman on the show so why would they then get rid of the only other woman on the show who was just about as good looking as Victoria Principal? Losing both of them at the same time was just awful! The Nielsen ratings for the next season reflected a bigger loss of viewers than they'd ever had in the show's history - significantly more viewers were lost than were lost when it was revealed that season 9 had just been a dream Pam had. From season 10 to season 11 (the first season after losing Pam and Mandy), they went from the eleventh most watched show on TV to the 21st most watched show. I don't know that the loss of those two women accounts for all of that loss in viewers because the storylines got worse too, but losing both Pam and Mandy at the same time certainly was a contributing factor in losing a significant portion of their audience.

That "Gentleman's agreement" was also a way for the networks to protect their purchase. I cannot imagine what it must have cost per episode when Dallas was flying high in its day.

That agreement makes a lot of sense. it's good for the networks because it protects the TV shows they invest in, and it's good for the audience because they aren't told something that will diminish their enjoyment of a TV show they like to watch.

I don't understand the mentality of people who actually enjoy "spoilers." I know that even before the internet, there were people who read magazines or tabloids specifically designed to spoil storylines of TV shows they liked to watch. I really don't get the mentality of someone who would pay money for a magazine that would deliberately spoil storylines they were enjoying.

 

[Toni]

In hindsight it may now appear cliché but at the time I accepted it for the drama it offered - by placing Donna in the Ewing Office - which ruffled JR's feathers no end. I would have kept Bobby blind for the majority of the season just to keep the tension up within the family.

Oh yeah, this way Bobby would never have realized Mama looked different!!

 

[Michael Torrance]

I'm guessing Travilla is the name of a fashion designer of women's clothes. Is that correct? Did people really care who designed the clothes for Dallas? I'll agree that some of the more outlandish clothes wore, such as Sue Ellen's shoulder pads that seemed to designed to put the shoulders of an NFL linebacker to shame, were annoying but not on a level that would make any significant effect on how much I enjoyed the show. Since you brought up the subject of clothes though, I do have to wonder what the purpose of those shoulder pads was supposed to be. When have you ever heard a man say he thinks women with huge shoulders are hot?

Travilla was the fashion designer Dallas hired when they felt they had to compete with Dynasty's rise in the ratings. The shoulder pads also came from there, as they were a (weird--I agree with you) invention of the Dynasty designer, Nolan Miller. The issue is not whether viewers/people cared who designed the clothes, but that Dallas execs did--the show that was once the one others copied, was now copying the formula of those that came after it.

How does this relate to the episode? Well it is in this very episode when Sue Ellen offers to take Pam to a movie to make her feel better. When Pam agrees, Sue Ellen goes to change for the movies: she exchanges her sweater and pants for a free flowing dress, and a turban. (Alexis had already worn one a year earlier in a hospital scene in Dynasty, after she had been in a fire).

I understand how at the time, for viewers invested in the characters, Bobby's shooting was a nail-biting cliffhanger. But I saw it in the 90s (I still did not know the outcome) when I watched Dallas' first 9 seasons, and for me it was an eye-rolling moment. What followed that year (including of course Donna Reed) was not less underwhelming. Not for nothing, but that following year, 1984-1985, was the year that Dynasty beat Dallas in the ratings.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

I'm guessing Travilla is the name of a fashion designer of women's clothes. Is that correct?

Oh, you're just so hetero!

 

[Rove]

Oh yeah, this way Bobby would never have realized Mama looked different!!

Just think of the razzle dazzle dialogue between Miss Ellie (Donna Reed) and Bobby if he had remained blind.

Bobby is recuperating at Southfork, relaxed in the living room while Jenna gently strokes his wavy black hair. They both listen contently as Charlie bitches about not being allowed outside to ride her horse. Miss Ellie walks in to check up on her son.

"Bobby, Jenna... I'm about to ask Teresa to fix us lunch. Is there anything special you'd like?"

"Nothing special momma." As Miss Ellie begins to spin Bobby interjects. "Say momma? Is there something different about you?"

Miss Ellie abruptly stops, caught by Bobby's question although her coiffed hair doesn't waver. "What do you mean Bobby?"

"I sense there is something different about you since your Honeymoon."

"Well Clayton did buy me some Chanel No.5."

"That must be it momma."

 

[Rove]

I'm guessing Travilla is the name of a fashion designer of women's clothes. Is that correct?

He was responsible for that dress...

​

 

[Rove]

whose bright idea was it to get rid of Deborah Shelton too? They were already losing the best looking woman on the show so why would they then get rid of the only other woman on the show who was just about as good looking as Victoria Principal?

Granted Deborah Shelton was stunning.

​

 

[Michael Torrance]

He was responsible for that dress...

View attachment 13884​

Travilla was quite a big name in designers, having won an oscar in 1949 for Errol Flynn's costumes in Adventures of Don Juan, and of course well-known for the dress you mentioned. On Dallas his creations matched the extravagance of Miller at times, but his superior work is seen in other TV productions, most notably The Thorn Birds were his costumes are low key and matching the period, yet clearly elegant.

 

[James from London]

The shoulder pads also came from there, as they were a (weird--I agree with you) invention of the Dynasty designer, Nolan Miller.

For whatever it's worth, shoulder pads appeared on DALLAS before DYNASTY, around the time Sue Ellen was arrested for shooting JR, which was two months before DYNASTY first aired.

 

[Michael Torrance]

For whatever it's worth, shoulder pads appeared on DALLAS before DYNASTY, around the time Sue Ellen was arrested for shooting JR, which was two months before DYNASTY first aired.

You are right. In fact they had appeared long before that, but they were popularized by DYNASTY in the 80s, per
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoulder_pads_(fashion)

 

[James from London]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoulder_pads_(fashion)

Interesting.

"these masculinized shapes were adopted by women seeking success in the corporate world and became an icon of women's attempts to smash the glass ceiling, a mission that was also added by their notable appearance in the TV series Dynasty."

If that's the case, then even though Sue Ellen and Pam wore shoulder pads from 198o, and Krystle, Fallon and Alexis from 1981, it wasn't until Alexis inherited Colby Co in 1982 that they became synonymous with "women's attempts to smash the glass ceiling" and a proper fashion craze.

 

[Michael Torrance]

Interesting.

"these masculinized shapes were adopted by women seeking success in the corporate world and became an icon of women's attempts to smash the glass ceiling, a mission that was also added by their notable appearance in the TV series Dynasty."

If that's the case, then even though Sue Ellen and Pam wore shoulder pads from 198o, and Krystle, Fallon and Alexis from 1981, it wasn't until Alexis inherited Colby Co in 1982 that they became synonymous with "women's attempts to smash the glass ceiling" and a proper fashion craze.

Although I am sure she is anathema to many here, Margaret Thatcher adopting them (mentioned in the article) was a factor in tandem with Alexis (played by another Brit!)